About The CostumesThe fantasy world of DOGMA also required costume designer Abigail Murray to ask
the essential question: what would the pantheon of angels and demons in the
celestial hierarchy wear if they came to 20th century earth? Her answer was to
reinterpret age-old celestial uniforms with a modern twist. "I went with
hooded sweatshirts for the three angels: Loki, Bartleby and Metatron," she
details. "I wanted to make a subtle reference to the hooded cassocks worn
by angels in 14th and 15th century paintings."

For Alan Rickman, Murray put together a
Versace ensemble specially adjusted to accommodate wings. "Metatron is very
into getting to wear Versace," laughs Rickman. "It's not something he
normally would wear and it's something God of course has scant respect for. But
it pleases him." Rickman also had to wear a prosthetic that he coyly refers
to "as the opposite of Mark Wahlberg's in 'Boogie Nights.'" Jason
Lee's Azrael also wears a suit, a nifty seersucker that matches his clipped
short hair, black hat and dapper demeanor. "I loved the presentation of my
character," says Lee. "When I got dressed in his clothes, I really
felt great, whatever that says about me."

Murray worked closely with production
designer Robert Holtzman, matching her costume colors to his backgrounds using
comic-book style pizzazz. "We were in total collaboration on the color
schemes," says Holtzman. "I wanted the wardrobe to just pop out of the
sets so it looked like a comic book where a character just kind of leaps out
into the foreground. It helped the entire design knowing that Abigail's colors
would be there for us."

But throughout all her celestial
creations, Murray maintained a certain down-to-earth restraint. "The
choices that Abigail made don't need to bellow 'Look at me, I'm a costume!' That
is the sign of a true artist," says Kevin Smith.